AIIMS Guwahati: Revolutionising healthcare in the Northeast

(The author is a Guwahati-based journalist and commentator who can be reached at dipaknewslive@gmail.com)

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is India’s foremost centre for medical research and care. The institute’s conception can be attributed to Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, the nation’s first health minister, who presented a bill in the Lok Sabha in 1956. After perusing a national health survey report from 1946, she realised the necessity of such an establishment. Her vision was to create an institute that could maintain high standards of medical education and post-graduate training, enabling young Indian doctors to pursue their education within the country’s borders. In her impassioned speech, she spoke of her long-cherished dream and even donated a portion of her ancestral property to establish the first AIIMS in the national capital of New Delhi. Over time, AIIMS New Delhi has cemented its position as the pinnacle of the Indian healthcare system, providing aid to millions and preparing future medical professionals to the highest standards. AIIMS also holds the distinction of being the first hospital in Asia to prohibit doctors from engaging in private practise, allowing them to focus solely on advancing the cause envisioned by Rajkumari Kaur.

India’s healthcare landscape has undergone a significant transformation since before independence. While life expectancy has doubled, malnutrition, high rates of infant and maternal mortality, and poor access to healthcare continue to plague the population. Shockingly, an estimated one million Indians die annually due to inadequate healthcare and insufficient care delivery. On top of this, patients in India bear the brunt of medical expenses, with 78% of all expenses being paid out of pocket. Thus, there was an urgent need to upgrade India’s infrastructure and make top-quality tertiary-level medical care available to all citizens at an affordable cost. To this end, the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) was conceptualised in 2003 and launched in 2006. One of the programme’s key objectives was to facilitate the establishment of new AIIMS across the country. These newly established AIIMS have been designated as institutes of national importance under the AIIMS Act and are now able to function independently under the purview of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

One of the primary objectives of the newly established AIIMS is to provide high-quality undergraduate and postgraduate education in all crucial healthcare fields, as well as research on region-specific medical and health issues.

Additionally, these institutions aim to offer advanced tertiary healthcare services to the general public. The PMSSY initiative has planned or built 22 new AIIMS in different phases, with six of them located in Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur, and Rishikesh being the first to be established and fully operational. The remaining AIIMS are located throughout the country and are in various stages of development and operation. The PMSSY initiative’s vision is to bring about significant progress in India’s healthcare infrastructure and help deliver high-quality medical care to all citizens, regardless of their financial status.

AIIMS-Guwahati, a state-of-the-art healthcare facility, was given the green light for construction under PMSSY Phase-V on May 24, 2017, with a budget of Rs 1,123 crore. On May 26, 2017, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the projecttion under PMSSY Phase-V on May 24, 2017, with a budget of Rs 1,123 crore. On May 26, 2017, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project. The hospital offers specialist and superspecialist care, as well as education and a medical college for MBBS students. It is equipped with 750 beds and is also set to offer a range of paramedical specialties in the near future. Dr. Chitra Sarkar, a former pathology professor and dean of research at AIIMS New Delhi, was appointed as the first president of AIIMS Guwahati. On July 10, 2022, Prof. (Col.) Ashok Kumar Puranik, an experienced trauma care surgeon who previously served as the head of surgery at AIIMS Jodhpur and in the Indian Armed Forces, was selected to lead the organisation as its first Executive Director. AIIMS-Guwahati aims to provide top-notch medical care and education to the people of the northeast region and beyond, contributing to the development of healthcare infrastructure in India.

The temporary campus situated on Narakasur Hill in Guwahati began its academic journey on January 12, 2021, with 50 MBBS students. It included the departments of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and community and family medicine. The designated campus in Silbharal, Changsari, and Kamrup (rural) district has been the headquarters for the institute’s operations since March 2022. The institute has recruited more than 80 faculty members for various specialisations and superspecializations departments between April and June 2022. The third and most recent batch of MBBS students started with a total of 100 enrolments in November 2022. Departments such as general medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, oncology, and others now offer telemedicine and temporary OPD services. The institute’s AYUSH building has been operational since September 2022. The outpatient department (OPD), the trauma and emergency services block, and the residential complexes at the medical and nursing colleges are all functional. The institute, under the guidance of Executive Director Dr. Puranik and his team of administrators, is continuously working towards providing the area residents with high-quality healthcare services.

On March 23, 2023, while assessing infrastructure development, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the esteemed institute would be dedicated to the people of Assam by Prime Minister Modi from its premises on April 14, 2023. The announcement should bring joy to the residents of Assam and the northeastern part of India, who require access to excellent tertiary healthcare services in all fields.

It is important to recognise that achieving the same level of excellence as AIIMS New Delhi or other renowned Indian medical institutions will not happen overnight for AIIMS-Guwahati. As the saying goes, “Rome was not built in a day.” It is crucial to understand that establishing the necessary infrastructure, logistics, and workforce training will take time to propel the institute to the top of the ladder. However, with the backing of the public and strong leadership, AIIMS-Guwahati will soon ascend to the top of North East India and Southeast Asia’s rankings for healthcare delivery, education, and research.